United States Federal Aviation Administration regulations require anti collision lighting on commercial and other aircraft. For example, C.F.R. §23.1401 specifies the requirement for anti collision lighting. Further, the anti collision lighting must meet specific criteria with regard to, for example, field of coverage, flashing characteristics, color, light intensity, and minimum effective intensities.
Anti collision lighting typically includes a light source or lamp, such as an incandescent or halogen bulb, and a lens that covers and protects the light source. The light source and lens are attached to the exterior surface of the aircraft, for example on an upper and/or or lower surface of a fuselage, wing, vertical stabilizer, and/or horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft.
While anti collision lighting is an essential safety component, the lighting can adversely impact operational characteristics of an aircraft. For example, the bulb that provides the light source and the lens that protects the bulb must extend from the aircraft exterior surface by a distance to be sufficiently visible from a low angle relative to the aircraft. Some lenses in anti collision lighting systems can extend at least 3.0 inches, and in some designs up to 6.0 inches, away from the aircraft exterior surface. This protrusion of the lens away from the aircraft surface can result in the lens extending into the airstream during operation of the aircraft, thereby creating significant aerodynamic drag increasing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, etc. For example, the drag created by some anti collision lighting can be equivalent to carrying an additional 250 pounds of payload.
Further, the lighting systems add additional weight to the aircraft, which also increases fuel consumption. Some anti collision lighting systems can add an additional 3 to 4 pounds of weight to the aircraft.
Moreover, because the lens that protects the bulb extends away from the aircraft surface by up to 6.0 inches, the lens must be manufactured from a durable material that resists abrasion and other damage from particles in the airstream such as dust, rain, ice, etc. Conventional lenses may be manufactured from relatively expensive materials such as glass and high-density polymers with expensive coatings to protect the lens from abrasion.
An anti collision lighting system having a decreased impact on aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption, reduced power draw from the aircraft electrical system, reduced weight, and a lower cost would be desirable.